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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · kid · rush · snap · coach · fall · bass · pitch

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to click
  9. kid — child
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rush — hurry
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com